A new study released in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine suggests that eating Ziziphus Jujube, which is also called Chinese date or Korean date, often can help prevent cancers like cervical cancer and breast cancer.The study is not a trial but a laboratory test which aimed to examine the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects against human cervical and breast cancer cells in vitro.The study shows a jujube  aqueous extract after applied to the cancer cell cultures was able to significantly reduce cancer cell viability in a dose and time -dependent manner.The anti-cancer effect of the jujube extract was found associated with enhanced expression of Bax and decreased expression of Bcl2 gene leading to an increased ratio of Bax and Bcl2 proteins.

Jujube may be sold from Asian grocery stores.  It can be dried or fresh.  Fresh jujube contains high vitamin C while the dried one contains high minerals such potassium and riboflavin (vitamin B2).  (David Liu)

Mohammad Reza Abedini, Nafiseh Erfanian, Habibollah Nazem, Sara Jamali, and Reyhane Hoshyar, Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Ziziphus Jujube on cervical and breast cancer cells, Avicenna J Phytomed. 2016 Mar-Apr; 6(2): 142–148.Photo credit: Frank C Muller via wikipediaMore studies on jujube

1. Identification of bioactive constituents of Ziziphus jujube fruit extracts exerting antiproliferative and apoptotic effects in human breast cancer cells.
2. The cytotoxic activity of Ziziphus Jujube on cervical cancer cells: In Vitro study.
3. Matrine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
4. Apoptosis of human breast cancer cells induced by microencapsulated betulinic acid from sour jujube fruits through the mitochondria transduction pathway. 
5. The jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit: a review of current knowledge of fruit composition and health benefits.